Privacy
Privacy notice for planning and building control
Development management – planning and building control
Identity and contact details of the data controller
Epping Forest District Council is a data controller pursuant to the general data protection regulation (GDPR). This means that the council decides how your personal data is processed and for what purposes. The contact details for the council’s data protection officer are:
Data Protection Officer
Epping Forest District Council
Civic Offices
323 High Street
Epping CM16 4BZ
- Call 01992 564000
- Email dataprotectionofficer@eppingforestdc.gov.uk
Information we use to process personal information
- Planning applications, decision notices and breaches of planning condition notices
- Planning appeals
- Planning enforcement notices
- Heritage conservation
- Trees and landscape including tree preservation orders (TPOs), the enforcement of high hedges and hedgerow regulations
- Local Plan / planning policy
- Building control plans including building control applications including decision notices
- Local land charges
Why we need your information and how we use it
- We use your information for the purposes of processing and determining planning applications
- Supporting planning policy including the formulation of the Local Plan
- Heritage conservation to protect listed buildings
- Trees and landscape including the enforcement of tree preservation orders, high hedges and hedgerow regulations
- Building control applications, monitoring of dangerous structures and demolition of buildings in terms of the Building Act 1984 and The Building Regulations 2010
Statutory obligation to provide services in accordance with the following legislations:
- Local Land Charges Act 1975
- Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967
- Section 224, Local Government Act 1972
- Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended)
- The Building Act 1984
- Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
- Planning Act 2008
- Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
- Local Government Act 1972
Personal data we collect about you
- Name
- Address
- Telephone number
- Email address
- Agent contact details (if applicable)
- Full address of the development
The council has a statutory duty to publish planning applications on its website which includes applicant / agent name and address. However, we will redact personal information such as signatures, email addresses and telephone numbers.
We charge for planning and building control applications and will record payment amounts made, amounts outstanding and the action taken to recover monies owed.
Enforcement cases remain confidential and at no time will we divulge the details of complainants who have informed us of alleged planning breaches.
Generally, the information we hold will have been provided by you (on an application or enquiry form or when we communicate with you), but we may also hold information provided by third parties where this is relevant i.e. complainants, LGO, other council departments. We will only ask for personal information that is appropriate to enable us to deliver planning and building control services. In some cases, you can refuse to provide your details if you deem a request to be inappropriate. However, you should note that this may impact on our ability to provide some services to you.
Who we share your personal data with
We may share planning information that you have provided, and obtain information about you from other council sections as well as external councils such as Essex County Council Highways where held and only as appropriate.
We may share your information with external agencies such as the Planning Inspectorate or Local Government Ombudsman in the event of direct appeals or complaints.
We will not disclose any information to any persons or organisations outside of Epping Forest District Council except to prevent fraud, or if required to do so by law.
How long we keep your information
We retain all planning and building control information indefinitely. Planning information is required to be published on our website. In general information relating to building control applications will be focused the property rather than the individual. Some property information regarding building control applications is published online.
Other planning and building control information not published online but may be retained in electronic format indefinitely.
For other categories please see the relevant section of the corporate privacy notice.
How to access, update or correct your information
The Data Protection Act gives you the right to apply for a copy of information about yourself. This is called a subject access request. Find out more on how to make a subject access request.
How to make a complaint
If you are unhappy with the way in which your personal data is processed by Epping Forest District Council you should contact the Data Protection Officer in the first instance:
If you remain dissatisfied with the council’s processing of your personal data, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
- Helpline number 0303 123 1113
- ICO website